Somerset police inspector to take on Sudan in new United Nations role

A police inspector who has helped to tackle crime on south Somerset streets for more than a decade has taken on a new role with the United Nations.

Inspector Jackie Gold will swap her south Somerset beat area for a role in war-torn South Sudan. She is one of four UK police officers to be selected by the Foreign Office for the two-year mission.

Inspector Gold, of Yeovil, said: "It is a new challenge that is both demanding and exciting and I only hope that my years of policing experience will assist in the stabilisation of South Sudan."

The police stalwart has served in south Somerset for more than 23 years, taking on a number of roles including neighbourhood sergeant for Yeovil, sector deputy and then neighbourhood inspector.

She applied for the UN role last September having began to consider an international career following some work with officers from Qatar in 2011.

She said: "I was initially recruited for my expertise in community policing, to work with the South Sudanese National Police Force but one month before deployment fighting broke out where many lives were lost, and the team was placed on standby.

"Although our team expect to assess the need for community policing in South Sudan, the reality is that we will be working in an advisory, mentoring and monitoring capacity and aiming to help in bringing an end to months of hostility. It's a volatile country but the UN is keen to send our delegation there to work with local tribes to try to bring some peace.

"It is going to be an incredible opportunity to work in a different environment. I am both excited and anxious about my future."